A steady stream of amateur actors, Bible thumpers, aging belly dancers, campaigning politicians and inquiring historians as well as local residents hard to pigeonhole walk through the Odd Fellows building on First Street in Fairmont.

Jeff Rouse and his wife, Denise, not only produce the televised cable shows in the building that is continuously being renovated, but they make the facilities available to belly dancers, a book club and Bible study group, film buffs, concert goers, seniors and, of course, the Odd Fellows.

“We think we can make a difference in southern Minnesota — how people look at us, and how we look at ourselves,” Rouse said. “Our goal is to promote the towns in the area and emphasize a great way of life in a positive mode and in an entertaining manner.”

The money-making part of all this is “Our Story,” which consists of 15 different cable television shows aired in 35 southern Minnesota communities including Mankato, Waseca and Blue Earth. Local businesses sponsor the various shows.

“‘Our Story’ includes interviews, news, music, games, skits and funny nonsense,” said Rouse, trying to summarize everything.

The shows
The latest and most popular production, “As the Corn Grows” is a southern Minnesota soap opera. (Click here for related story.)

Other productions include:

“Name That Town,” using a quiz-style setting with panelists guessing the correct local town described in a question. Similarly, “Where’s That Business?” hosted by Tom Dodge is another game show where contestants prove how well they know local businesses.

“Moments in Time,” with only two history segments to date, consists of a woman portraying Professor J. von Tron, who travels in a time machine. After waking up from her crash landing, she asks “Where am I?” In one episode she landed in Mankato in 1914.

Bill Busse, a Fairmont music guru, interviews local entertainers on “This Song’s For You.” “The musicians he interviews should be household names but usually aren’t,” Rouse said.

“They usually play a song or two on each episode.”

Mike “Alert” Foster of Fairmont is the comedic “Almost Breaking News” reporter who either shows up too soon or too late to cover every event.

Rouse picks up a different hitchhiking jogger in every segment of “In the Passenger Seat” and interviews the politician or candidate while the two are seated in his car.

“I get e-mails from people telling me I’m not watching the road,” Rouse said.

The standard ending to this political show is Rouse announcing to the guest, “I’m going to let you off where you were running. But before I do, we have one more corner to turn. Should I turn left or should I turn right?” Rouse said Republicans usually respond. “You have to turn a little bit right,” and Democrats say, “You don’t have to take a hard turn, but you have to veer to the left.”